Isbell upholds tradition of writing messages in music

Scott Hudson, For the Argus Leader
Published 11:33 a.m. CT July 5, 2017

219 Shares

Jason Isbell(Photo: Courtesy photo)

In this era of divisive politics, it probably shouldn’t be surprising that songs that touch on political themes touch a raw nerve in many people.

Instead of changing the radio or TV channel, or hitting "next” on their playback devices, their rage is unveiled on social media or talk radio. “Shut up and sing” is the common reaction when any entertainer mentions any opinion of social issues.

It’s sort of a strange phenomenon, as music and politics have been intertwined for almost as long as they have existed. Songs have always been a source of comfort, strength and inspiration for the oppressed. Before the existence of mass media, the sharing of songs helped people understand other societies.

Kings have been deposed and laws have changed thanks in part to well-crafted songs. “Free America” aided in recruiting soldiers during the Revolutionary War, while “Yankee Doodle” originally was written by British soldiers to mock our troops. The Underground Railroad’s success during the Civil War is in part due to coded songs such as “Go Down, Moses.”

Almost all forms of music owe their beginning to politically tinged material. Folk, blues, country, rock 'n' roll, punk, hip-hop. Remember that Bob Dylan’s first real controversy wasn’t over his “finger-pointing” songs; it was because he left the protest music in favor of rock 'n' roll. Never mind that many of these later songs, while much more subtle, were even more incendiary and condemning in their take on societal mores.

For some reason, this deep, deep well of songwriting tradition is now to be ignored. There’s almost a demand that pop stars revert to juvenile lyrics similar to, “She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah,” or “Be-Bop-a-Lula.” They now sing glorified nursery rhymes that are designed more to sell corn flakes and mascara than to make people think. The status quo is to be maintained at all times!

Somebody clearly forgot to give Jason Isbell this memo. After the success of 2013’s “Southeastern” and 2015’s “Something More Than Free,” few records were more anticipated than last month’s “The Nashville Sound,” credited to Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit.

“The Nashville Sound” has more than lived up to the hype. Uncut says the album “sees Isbell swaggering confidently along the rockier edge of his range,” while AllMusic adds that “it reaffirms his place as one of the best and most emotionally affecting artists working in roots music today.”

While the published reviews are almost unanimously positive, Isbell has seen a backlash because of one of the album’s more rocking tracks, “White Man’s World.”

“I’m a white man living in a white man’s world,

Under our roof is a baby girl,

And I thought this world could be hers one day,

But her mama knew better.”

Promoting the album on the “The Daily Show,” Isbell admitted to host Trevor Noah that Donald Trump’s ascendance to the presidency inspired the song. "The thing that popped into my mind first was, 'Thank God she's an infant, because I don't have to explain any of this to her,' " he said. "She'll figure it out as she grows up, but if she was a couple of years older, I would have to be like, 'OK, honey, here's what happened today, and this is why your father doesn't really know anything about human people in this country anymore."

The response in various circles was instantaneous and predictable. In addition to the usual “anti-American” name-calling, many claimed this song would cause his career to be “Dixie-chicked.” A seemingly coordinated effort to reduce the album’s overall iTunes rating includes one-star reviews saying he’s “pandering to snowflakes” and full of “white guilt activism.”

Never known as a shrinking violet, Isbell has consistently shrugged off this criticism. As he told Consequence of Sound, "I think my job is to constantly evaluate my role in the human struggle for equality without feeling guilt or shame for things I can’t control.”

In fact, Isbell got the last laugh when the record hit No. 4 on the Billboard album charts, selling more in the first week than any of his previous albums.

“So much for alienating half my audience by speaking my mind,” he tweeted the day the charts were published.

If you go

What: Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit concert

When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday

Where: Washington Pavilion of Arts and Science, 301 S. Main Ave.

Remaining tickets: $46.33-$57.23, www.washingtonpavilion.org

Read or Share this story: https://www.argusleader.com/story/blogs/scotthudson/2017/07/05/isbell-upholds-tradition-writing-messages-music/451950001/